How To Chase Your Goals and Be A Good Parent

It’s late. Real late. I’m sitting in my family room curled up on my couch in the dark. I should be in bed, well actually I went to bed hours ago, but haven’t been able to fall asleep. My mind is racing with remembering all. the. things. that still need to get done.

There’s a lot of them.

Tomorrow morning I’m stepping onto a stage in front of over 350+ women, local business owners, and speakers. I have to give a presentation, introduce some amazing people and stay on top of all the details. Oh and did I mention our keynote speaker is the one and only Egypt Sherrod? Yep, that Egypt of HGTV. I’m nervous.

Don’t get me wrong, typically I thrive under pressure. As in make the game winning three-point shot (well back in 5th grade because that’s the last time I was taller than anyone else!), but you get the idea. There’s a lot riding on my shoulder’s for this conference.

Yes, I’ve had some amazing women standing alongside me. They’ve helped organize and plan every moment of tomorrow, but at the end of the day it’s still my name listed in that book as the conference director.

I don’t like failing.

Not that I think tomorrow will be a failure – far from it! I just know that there will be a lot of moving parts and I should be sleeping.

I just can’t.

Do you remember the first day of school as a little girl? Giddy with excitement, couldn’t sleep, planned every conversation you were going to have, thought out the perfect first day of school outfit and you sprung out of bed way too early. That’s how I feel.

These past 9 months have been a whirlwind with work, this blog and business, my family, traveling, and conference planning – not too mention all the other facets of my life.

This month especially because of course a conference for 350+ people wasn’t enough to keep me busy so I started an advanced accounting class at a local college, decided to declutter, organize and clean every room, closet, and space in our home (all thanks to buying a new couch).

I’m not real sure where I was headed with this post – as I type it my title is still blank and that’s usually my first step in planning out something. However, I just felt like it was necessary to share where my mind is at, my heart is at and my goals are at.

You see, I am a big believer (huge) in chasing dreams, setting goals and then knocking them down. I’m also a big fan of my family. I do believe you can have it both – a career and a family – and be successful at both of them. I think you just need to follow a few things to help you figure out how to chase your dreams and be a good parent. Here’s what has helped me along the way:

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. This is a tough one for most moms, me included. You have to ask for help. It can be big help (like planning a conference) or medium help (like asking a grandparent to pick up your son from daycare so you can work a little longer) or even small help (like asking a friend to help you find the perfect outfit for a big event so you can feel confident). Whatever the help is – ask for it. You may not even know what all you need help with, but if someone offers don’t take offense. Let them help you.
Break goals into chunks. If you have a big goal or deadline or conference then break it up. Spend time deciding what steps you need to help reach your goal and then start crossing them off. Breaking your goals into chunks will also help when you’re trying to figure out who to ask help from (see point one for reference).
Realize it’s okay to not be perfect. Sometimes in our busy seasons some things slip through the cracks and that’s okay. Maybe you decide it’s easy slow cooker and casserole meals for dinners. Maybe you stop worrying about your house being perfect. Or maybe, just maybe you stay up a little too late to get all your thoughts out of your head. Part of the realization is knowing when enough is enough. When you accidentally throw away your kid’s sock and put the empty sour cream container in the dirty clothes basket (and not realize it for several hours) then it’s time to take a break. That’s when it’s time slow down, breathe and take some time away from pushing yourself so hard.
Remember what’s most important. In times of goal crushing and dream chasing it can be very easy to get wrapped up in it all. You’re excited to almost cross another step off your list and you find yourself ignoring what’s most important. You miss dinners with the family, skipped another night of tucking your little one into bed or were so rushed in the mornings that you felt as if you were a robot just going through the motions. It’s important to remember why we have these goals in the first place. Perhaps we’re trying to make more so we can provide for our kids so we can do more fun stuff together. Whatever your reason – remember it, write it down and know it.

What are some of your tips for how to chase your dreams and be a good parent? Let me know in the comments or share it on Instagram and tag @meredithrines.